Soul Calibur: History of Crimson
by Jester of Smiles
Summary: Sometimes things are meant to be left in the past, for those who live and think only of the past shall repeat history again, and again. Will Jack flow on the rivers of fate and rekindle the flames of an ancient war, or will he break the ancient chains of destiny and forge his own? -(Short Summary; up for revision)- OC x OC pairing (Maybe) Blood, language, and romance :3


[Chapter 1: Odd Jobs]

Rain…

Oh how Jack hated the rain right now. For the past week all the weather has done was rain, thoroughly soaking the earth with him included. His boots were muddy and soaked; with his drenched cloak drawn tight to try and shield him from the cold wind and rain, he no doubt looked like a hunched old man from a distance. Looking up from the muddy ground he could make out his destination in the downpour, gleaming like a beacon in the dark of night.

"This job had better be worth it." He growled, having traveled far from his home in Wolfkrone to a small town in the middle of nowhere getting drenched.

As was the norm he traveled light. Bringing his sword Ra'zelle; a long-sword with a crosspiece slightly curved towards the point of the blade, which was made of a special mix of steel making it light-weight yet strong, his armor which was an out-fitted leather cuirass, boots, and gauntlets. Though he had great mobility Jack had little protection against most attacks… Nature included.

With each squelching footfall he eventually made it to the main street of the town, homes and several stores lined the street, branching off to other sections of the settlement. With a renewed vigor he trudged through the muddy roads looking for any signs of life or a place to sleep out from under the rain. Down the street he could make out a faint yellow glow from behind drawn curtains, as he drew closer he could see a sign.

_The Leaking Timber, Tavern & Inn_

What a fitting name, especially for this godforsaken place.

With a shiver he entered the establishment feeling the heavy air thick with smoke and other smells. Standing there a moment he gazed out into the thin crowd of patrons whom a few peered to see the stranger but went back to their drinks just as quick.

"Oi, take yerself to the fire. Don't just stand there bringin' the rain with ya!" a booming voice thundered.

Snapping out of his stupor he looked to the barkeep at the end of the room, pointing with his thumb to the fire place to his left. With a quick nod Jack took off his cloak as he pulled up a chair next to the fire, thankful that the heavy apparel was relieved of his shoulders. Placing his boots and gear by the fire he smiled as the bright roaring flames warmed his weary body.

"So what'll it be miss, we got food, drink, and-"

"I'm sorry?" Jack interrupted, mildly annoyed that he'd just been labeled a woman. Sure he was tall, had a slim frame, and had long dark brown hair but he didn't look that much like a woman… Did he?

Wringing his ponytail Jack watched as the Bartender suddenly realized his mistake, "Oh! Sorry- er, sir. Eyes have started goin' bad the past year." The large man grinned, "Haven't started bumping into anything or trippin' over myself thank God."

Jack grinned, "Oh I wouldn't be surprised if you made a tremor if you fell."

The Barkeep fell silent at the comment standing there for a few moments. Jack, wondering if he offended the large man with his joke started to apologize until the room erupted with laughter with the large man chuckling while a few other patrons laughed outright.

"Ah- heheheh, guess I deserved that. Not the best but still funny. I take pride in my wife's cooking and I'm sure she does too! Cooks the best food you'll ever have." He beamed a smile down at Jack, "I'd wager its better than anything you'd find in a castle's kitchen!"

"Well I might just have to try some then, what'ya have tonight?" Jack smiled relieved.

**0o0o0o0**

After a night of gorging his fill on food, drink and resting by the fire, Jack was content. The barkeep and his wife were very hospitable, and the food was twice as good. The weather though still pouring was a put out of his mind. So long as he didn't have to go outside…

But now he lay awake in his room, his mind restless yet his body weary. An odd predicament has arisen.

_Where is my contact?_

Even with his efforts to learn the whereabouts of his contact he learned nothing. Nobody had seen nor heard of anyone passing through.

His potential employer had sent a letter asking to meet so a job could be arranged. Naturally would have sent a letter back asking for more details but the letter had specifically outlined the importance of meeting face to face first, and to meet so far from civilization no less. Again, naturally he would've burned the letter for such an outrageous request, but something told him not to. In the back of his mind he had that feeling that there was more to this, that whatever his contact had to say could very well be important.

Rising from his warm bed he walks over to the small table and chair, lighting the small candle; his green eyes reflecting the orange flames. His hair being let out of its customary tail hung low; with his bangs parted in the middle were just beginning to grow past his jawline, while the rest grew past the nape of his neck. With his hair down one could in fact easily mistake him for a woman, now that he thought about it.

With a wry smile he looked outside, watching the rain pour and pour.

He had lost track of time till he woke from his daze, started by something. Looking around his room; looking for the disturbance, he noticed a shadow lit by a dim candle from under his door. He watched as a pale white envelope slid under the door and the light disappear from the other side of the door. With a start he unlocked his door and stepped into the hallway, only to see nothing. Gently closing and relocking his door he took the envelope, opening it as he walked to the candlelit table.

In a slanted sharp handwriting it read:

_Jack,_

_It is on a regretful note that I cannot meet you as of yet. It is with my deepest apologies that you will have to wait a while longer till everything is ready. Now you will soon understand my reasons once you have completed the task before you._

_The details of your job and where a small portion of your payment is are within this letter, as I trust you will accept._

_Sincerely,_

_Your employer_

With a sigh he placed the letter down, a hand rubbing his eyes in annoyance. He had decided that he would accept the job regardless of what it entailed before he had left Wolfkrone, but this was just getting ridiculous. Rising from his chair he blows out the light, plunging the room into a welcoming darkness, eager for both a good night's rest and what tomorrow held in store for him.

**0o0o0o0**

After eating his breakfast of last night's leftovers Jack pulled out the letter once more, rereading it for good measure before stowing it away. The job the letter entailed was odd, he'd have to explore a cave of sorts and bring back a certain rock and return to Wolfkrone to await further instruction.

"Might as well start asking," Jack muttered, turning to the Barkeep; or John as he preferred, "Hey John, you know of any caves nearby?"

John scratched his chin thinking for a moment before replying, "Aye, there are. But they're dangerous, since folk have gone missin' when they leave to search 'em for ore."

"It used to be a mine then?" Jack asked leaning against the bar.

Nodding John continued, "They used to be, until the caves started crashin' down; dug too much an' too deep so them caves crash down on another from time to time."

Puzzled Jack wondered as to why his job was to search a mineshaft, presumably thinking he was to "liberate" a few dead of their valuables he thought nothing much of it.

"You know where they are?"

John looked to Jack, "You aren't thinkin' of searchin' them caves are ya?" Seeing Jack nod he shrugged, pointing out the door, telling Jack to follow the road back out of town and follow a small game trail. The town was going to make an actual road to the mines but once the caves started becoming a hazard the project was dropped.

Thanking John he went back to his room tying his hair back into a ponytail as he went. With Ra'zelle strapped to his back and his armor over his tan loose undershirt, with the sleeves tucked under his gauntlets. He was about to leave till he grabbed his cloak, noticing the dark clouds that still hung in the sky. Saying his goodbyes he left drawing his black hood shrouding his face in darkness as he heard the drops of rain pierce the earth, like arrows to flesh.

**0o0o0o0**

It had been some hours of walking before Jack had realized an unsettling development, kneeling on the trail Jack double checks, his brow furrowed in confusion and uncertainty.

"What… Are these? Better question, what made it?"

What Jack was referring to were a set of very odd tracks, large three-toed tracks that followed the path to the caves. He rose from his crouch dusting his knees. Whatever he was inadvertently following was big and passed through recently, that normally meant dangerous in his book. Keeping a hand around the hilt of his sword Ra'zelle, but keeping it sheathed, he cautiously moves off the path among the forest, falling into a crouch he parallels the trail; blending in amongst the shadowed trees. You learn on the job, especially if someone pays you to.

After another hour or so of paralleling the path he found the mines, and the thing he'd been tracking. Standing at the mouth of the cave stood a tall, hunched Lizard. But it wasn't a small one; not like a normal lizard. No this one stood almost taller than a man standing on its two hind legs, its scales a pale green with the smooth head of a salamander wearing little armor but its steel pauldron and scaled chest armor. Bearing its sword and shield the Lizardman; as Jack came to call it, paced about the entrance scurrying about in a fervent almost panicked manner; like someone had lost something important and started searching for it.

_The Hell Is that- *SNAP*_

Interrupted by the sharp snap of a twig underfoot he saw the quick movement of the Lizardman cease, its large reptilian head swiveling towards Jack, eyes looking directly at him. Its yellow eyes took on a hungry glare, growling and snarling as it charged forward.

Quickly unsheathing Ra'zelle Jack meets the strike sending stumbling a few steps, regaining his footing the Mercenary quickly dodges another overhead strike before aiming a good kick to the Lizardman's head sending it reeling. The Lizardman had underestimated its prey; most humans the beast had killed either fled from it or were too weak.

Twirling Ra'zelle Jack watched the Lizardman circle around him searching for an opening, and he vice versa. Then with a quick hand Jack reached from within his cloak sending a dagger spinning head over handle towards the Lizardman; forcing the beast to block its view of him with its own shield as he sped towards it jumping into the air, aiming to chop the beast's head in two. The Lizardman blocked the dagger but Jack didn't see the tail spinning towards him, slamming Jack midair sending him rolling on the dirt.

The Lizardman laughed; but it sounded more like a gurgling growl, either way Jack could see the smug look and toothy grin.

_Oh big mistake…_

Picking himself up he readies his sword once more, Ra'zelle held at an angle before him as he inches closer. Blocking a surprise cut to the side Jack narrowly dodges a stab to his chest; quickly he slams his foot into the Lizardman's knee; taking pleasure in hearing a watery and no doubt painful pop, and pivots on his heel sending another kick to the beast's head sending it reeling again.

Ducking under a wild swipe of the Lizardman's tail he rises up cleaving the tail in two.

Head blurry with pain, leg broken, and now its tail was gone; the Lizardman didn't expect this. Not from a human. Off balance because of its lost tail the beast could only hiss in further pain when it felt the cold sting course through its body as the human's blade punched through its natural and forged armor, striking its heart. All went black for the beast as Jack quickly pulled his on his sword, kicking the dying corpse off his blade.

**0o0o0o0**

Jack wiped his blade, sheathing it once was cleaned of any of the Lizardman's thick blood. Chest heaving he fell to his knees, glad he wasn't injured too badly nor the small scuffle hadn't been drawn out.

"Glad ***cough*** that went so well…"

Jack's cloak had come off during his scuffle with the Lizardman; while he dusted the black cloak he noticed a glittering shine of silver covered by dirt and rocks just inside the entrance to the mines. Walking over he whistled low, uncovering the object in question.

"Well look at you~"

In his hands was a beautiful gleaming sword; its blade looked unbelievably sharp, complete with a dark purple hilt. What piqued his interest were the slight ethereal glow in the blade and the golden symbol near the hilt; three golden triangles with their points touching to form a bigger triangle with an empty bit in the middle.

Jack figured he could keep it, but thought better of it; the sword itself was too heavy for him, and when he held it his hands tingled with electricity. It wasn't painful but it felt very uncomfortable.

Wait, was that Lizard looking for this? He asked himself, looking to the still bleeding corpse of his foe he wondered why a beast would search for this sword.

_Maybe they hoard things of interest…_

That thought alone brought another foreboding question to mind, "What if there was more than just the one?"

Taking his cloak he began wrapping the length of the blade, taking leather straps off the Lizardman's armor to bind it together so only the hilt was visible. Now safely able to carry the strange sword Jack began his descent into the abandoned mines.

* * *

_**So, first story with the first chapter done! I thank ye for reading and hope ye enjoyed it. :3**_

_**Without further delay I work on the next chapter. Feedback is greatly appreciated, critique or praise, I love 'em both!**_

_**With much thanks,**_

_**Smiles**_


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